UFC 130's Hamill just fine with lighting fires, thrilled to shock world, as well

Early word that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) wasn’t jazzed about his next challenge came as no surprise to the man tapped for that role.

Jackson has balked at having to fight Matt Hamill (10-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) instead of Thiago Silva, then promised to knock Hamill out, then said Hamill has lit a fire under his behind. You could probably tack some pop psychology onto the stages Jackson has gone through in coming to terms with the booking.

“The Hammer” certainly has, and he doesn’t blame Jackson for his initial reluctance.

“I don’t blame Rampage for thinking that way,” Hamill told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today during a conference call in support of his fight with Jackson, which takes place next Saturday at UFC 130 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “I’m only ranked 17th in the world right now, and I think Rampage should be thinking about fighting the top five guys in the world.

“But the opportunity came up for [me] to face him, and [I] feel that I can beat him. I just want to thank Rampage for giving me the opportunity.”

It was an opportunity that was heavily lobbied for by Hamill’s trainer, Duff Holmes, after Silva’s run-in with the Nevada State Athletic Commission got him scratched from the card this past February.

But Hamill knew that it would be a tough sell, and not just to the UFC. He was the opposite of what Jackson would expect. Silva was known as a striker. He was known as a wrestler, even though he liked to stand and bang. Prejudice might turn “Rampage” away. Plus, Hamill had never headlined a pay-per-view event and had been a step below the marquee for most of his career. That’s to say nothing of his status in the rankings.

Honestly, it just didn’t look that good.

“I thought Rampage wouldn’t take the fight because I’m not one of the top guys in the division as far as the rankings go,” Hamill said. “I figured Rampage would be eyeing Rashad Evans and a rematch with Forrest Griffin. I thought that Rampage would believe I’m not in his league.”

Of course, something changed shortly after Jackson’s rumored complaints about the bout. Whether you chalk that up to a second look, a change in heart, or an old-fashioned turning of the screws at the hands of his employer, Jackson came around to the idea of fighting Hamill.

Compared to the fireworks of a conference call with Evans one year ago, Jackson today sounded like he was coming off a mild sedative for much of the time he talked about the fight. But he eventually livened up when he said he was motivated by Hamill’s claim that he would break in their fight.

So now the pump is primed, and Hamill is ready to take advantage.

“This my chance to prove that I am in his league,” he said.

For Holmes, things could not have turned out better. Because although Hamill does like to stand and slug, the reality is that he does have an advantage on the mat, at least on paper. So there’s little reason to claim otherwise for the sake of hyping the fight.

The sale has already been made.

“As the guy who campaigned to get Rampage, we look at Rampage stylistically, and no knock to Rampage – he’s my favorite fighters to watch because he’s got amazing power in both hands and handspeed like a welterweight,” Holmes said. “But that being said, Rampage gets by on being the bigger, stronger guy in the octagon, and this time, he’s just not going to be.

“He’s going to be outwrestled and he’s going to be taken down. There’s just no way around it.”

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